Brive - La Roche Airport

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Brive-la-Gaillarde

Brive-la-Gaillarde (Limousin dialect of Occitan language: Briva la Galharda) is a commune of France. It is a sub-prefecture of the Corrèze department. The population of the urban area was 89,260 as of 1999. Although it is by far the biggest commune in Corrèze, the capital is Tulle.

History

Even though the inhabitants settled around the 1st century, the city only started to grow much later. Starting around the 5th century, the original city starts to develop around a church dedicated to Saint-Martin-l'Espagnol. During the 12th century walls are built around the city and during the Hundred Years' War a second wall is built. These fortifications no longer exist and are now replaced by boulevards.

The commune was named "Brive" until 1919, when it was renamed "Brive-la-Gaillarde". The word "Gaillarde" (still used in current French) probably stands for bravery or strength in the city's name, but it can also refer to the city's walls. Brive now extends outside of its original boundaries into Malemort and Ussac.

During World War II, Brive-la-Gaillarde was a regional capital of the Resistance, acting as a seat of several clandestine information networks and several of the principal resistance movements, including the Armée secrète (or “Secret Army”) and the Mouvements unis de la Résistance (or “United Movements of the Resistance”).

Brive-la-Gaillarde was the first city of Occupied France to liberate itself by its own means, on August 15, 1944. For this, the city received the “Croix de guerre 1939-1945” military decoration.

The medieval center is mainly a commercial district with retail shops and various cafés. It is also the location of the city hall, the main police station, and the Labenche museum One notable landmark outside the inner city is the Pont Cardinal, a bridge which used to be a crossing point for travelers from Paris to Toulouse. Finally, it is the home of CA Brive rugby union team.